Chapter Seventeen
After Mitchel’s mom dropped him off at the end of his outing with Jackson, he went into the kitchen to grab a beer. Greg was sitting at the table, reading a golf magazine.
“How did it go?” Greg asked.
Mitchel popped the top and placed the beer on the counter. He leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest, something his mother often did—that is, up until today. “It was really great.” Mitchel uncrossed his arms. “Well, except for running into an old friend.” He used air quotes around “old friend.”
“Oh?” Greg opened the refrigerator and pulled out a beer for himself. “Let’s go outside. You can tell me all about it.”
Greg opened the door for Mitchel to walk outside, figuring Mitchel would want to light up a cigarette. He was surprised when he handed the ashtray to Mitchel and Mitchel refused. At first, Greg thought it would turn out to be an argument and was stunned at Mitchel’s response.
“Nah. But thanks.” Mitchel pulled out one of the patio chairs from the table and took a seat. Greg did the same.
“So?” Greg clinked beer cans with his brother. “Spill.”
“OK. So you know a while back I was kinda misbehaving myself.”
Greg interrupted. “Which ‘while’ are you referring to?” Greg knew that Mitchel had not been on his best behavior for over a year.
“Hah. Funny guy.” Mitch took a pull of his beer. “In Clarkston. Benny’s Barbecue and Burger Grill.” He raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, yes. Benny’s Grill. I recall a young lady waitress worked there?”
“You got two things wrong. She ain’t young, and she ain’t no lady.” Mitchel guffawed.
“Well, you seemed to think so at the time, if I recall.” Greg was egging him on in a brotherly way.
“Aw, c’mon. I never said anything about her being a lady. Far from it, my brother.” The two guys burst out laughing.
“Touché.” Greg tapped Mitchel’s beer can again with his.
“So what happened?”
“OK. So, you know Ma, she was in her usual mood.”
“Let’s not overstate the obvious. Get to the good part.” Greg sat back in the chair, waiting for the juicy bits.
“Yea. So we get to Benny’s, and I had totally forgotten about Lucinda until she appeared at our table. I should say flew to our table on her broomstick.”
“How could you forget she worked there?”
“It’s been a year, and I had forgotten that she works the Saturday day shift. She always said she was a night owl and liked getting off at eleven. She’d say, ‘That’s when all the fun begins.’ ” Mitchel reached in his pocket for a cigarette but thought better of it. He had only smoked one the entire day. Maybe he was on his way to stopping. “Anyway, she comes sauntering over to our table, cracking her gum. She leans into the table and puts her face so close to mine I almost had a heart attack. I thought she was going to smack her lips all over me. So, she starts, ‘Helloooo, Mitchel, long time no see.’ You should have seen Ma bristle. I mean, Lucinda could not have been more obvious. I think she even brushed her breast against my shoulder, but I was frozen in place.”
“Oh, man, Ma must have been having a cow!”
“Several.” Mitchel laughed. “And then Lucinda keeps wiggling her ass every time she walks away.”
“Oh, you managed to catch that, did you?” Greg asked.
“Stevie Wonder would have been able to catch that!” Mitchel almost spit out his beer at his own joke.
“Holy smoke. So what did Ma say?”
“Not a whole lot. She didn’t have to. The looks she was giving me and Lucinda could have stopped a freight train,” Mitchel answered. “I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Then, when I asked for the check, she draped her arm over my shoulder. Man, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I had no idea what Lucinda might do or say next. It was really bad.”
“And did you get away unscathed?” Gregory pressed.
“Thankfully. But Ma was in such a mood that she refused to go to the movie and wanted to go to the outlet shops.”
“So you skipped the movie?”
“No. Hey, don’t tell Elaine, or anyone. But Jackson and I went to the movies alone.”
“Wow. You were taking a big chance, brother.”
“Yeah. But I wasn’t thinking straight, and you know how Ma can be. She was not going to that movie. I could tell she wanted to get as far away from me as possible. But then the strangest thing happened. When she came back to pick us up, she was in a great mood. It was like she was a totally different person. Somebody I had never seen before. Not just from her mood this morning, but a different person altogether.”
“Retail therapy can do that for a woman.” Greg finished off his beer and got up to get another. He turned to Mitchel. “You want one?”
“Nah. I’m good. Thanks.”
“Speaking of a different person, are you all right?”
“Yeah. Why?” Mitchel asked.
“Because I don’t remember you ever turning down a beer, and you haven’t had a cigarette. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great. Hold that last thought. I’ll be right back.”
Greg went into the house to get himself another beer. Elaine was in the kitchen. “What’s going on?” she asked casually.
“Mitch is telling me about his day and how Ma was like a different person by the time”—he stopped short of revealing how Mitchel had violated the visitation rules—“they were on their way back.”
“Funny you should say that. I thought she was in a very un-Vivian mood when she dropped him off. She was smiling and genuinely nice. What’s up with that?” Elaine asked. “Not that I mind. But if we can figure out what put her in a good mood, maybe we can buy a hundred of whatever it was.” Elaine chuckled.
“I’m about to find out. What are you up to?” Greg asked.
“Working on a proposal for some funding for the school.”
“You are the best.” Greg gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll fill you in later.”
Greg went back outside to hear the rest of this most interesting story about his mother. Greg and Mitch only referred to her as “Ma” when they were alone together. She had made it abundantly clear that she was to be called “Mother.” Period.
“Continue, please.”
“Yeah, so she gets back, wearing this pink, flowery scarf. Something I had never seen on her before. I mean it wasn’t just that particular scarf, but you know how she dresses. Anything dark, boring, dowdy.” Mitchel finished what was left of his beer. “Then, get this, she turns on the radio and starts singing along to ‘Sweet Caroline.’ ”
“Are you sure that was our mother? Is it possible that some alien from Mars or somewhere took over her body or something?” Greg leaned in closer.
“Right? Crazy. But anyway, we had ice cream, then went bowling. I’m kinda pooped, to tell you the truth.”
“So all went well with Jackson?”
“Yeah, man. The movie was awesome. I mean, like the special effects. Then, when we were having ice cream, she was still in a great mood. I was waiting for her mood to change, but it never did. It was so bizarre. She even joked about bowling shoes.” Mitchel was shaking his head. “Jackson was getting such a kick out of her. He even sang in the car. ‘Bap-bap-baa.’ It was a great day, for sure.”
Greg gave his brother a high five. “Way to go! So, what’s next?”
“We do it again next Saturday.” Mitchel crushed his beer can in his hand. “I told Jackson he could decide what it will be. Let’s just hope it’s something Ma will want to do.”
“By the sound of it, she may be fine. Elaine just told me the same thing. Ma was in a good mood and unusually nice when she brought you home.”
“I guess miracles can happen.” Mitchel gave his brother a pat on the shoulder and went back inside. “You mind if I make a sandwich? I’m getting a little hungry.”
“Help yourself,” Greg called from the yard. Then thought
. Odd. Mitchel’s never asked if he could do anything before.
Mitchel fixed himself a cheese sandwich and poured himself a large glass of water. It felt wonderful to feel good.
* * *
Mitchel woke up the next morning without his usual hangover. He had even slept on the futon instead of the sofa. He rubbed his chin, feeling for morning whiskers. Not too bad. Must have given myself a really good shave yesterday.
Then he thought about the outing yesterday with Jackson and his mother. It had started out a bit rocky, but ended up being a great day. He still could not get over the change in his mother’s behavior, but he wasn’t going to question it. He was going to pray that, whatever the reason for the change, it was permanent.
Chapter Eighteen
Ellie bolted upright and started gasping for breath. The nightmares had returned. Her pajamas were soaked in sweat. She was shivering. Buddy jumped up and started to woof softly. He nudged her arm. “It’s OK, pal. Mommy’s OK.” She hugged him close to her neck. He kept nudging her, begging for reassurance. She wasn’t sure who needed it more, Buddy or her. Even Percy was disturbed by Ellie’s sudden jerk. As aloof as he appeared, Percy was a big mush and would pace and meow if he felt anything was amiss. “It’s OK, guys.” She rocked back and forth, clutching her dog. “It’s OK, it’s OK, it’s OK.” She tried the deep-breathing exercise her therapist Zach Meyers had taught her. That was helping a bit. She didn’t panic. That was a step in the right direction, in spite of the nightmare. When the nightmares began after the episode in New York, she would wake up screaming. Now she could stop the horror as soon as she woke up. Baby steps. Progress.
She checked the clock on her nightstand. It was five in the morning. She got up, went into the bathroom, and ran a hot shower. Maybe she could get in a little more sleep once she washed off the terror.
By the time she had finished the shower and dried her hair, it was almost 6:00. She debated whether she should try to get a little more shut-eye or check her client list for the day.
Buddy gave her a woof, indicating he was ready to do his morning duty. “OK, pal, let’s go.” She shuffled into the kitchen and disarmed the alarm system, unlocked the interior laundry-room door, and let Buddy go through the doggie doors to do his business.
Percy was already on the counter waiting for his food when she heard Buddy barking. It was a bark indicating he knew who it was. But who could it be at this hour? Hector usually didn’t get there until 7:00. She looked out in the yard and saw it was Jackson, standing outside the front fence. What is he doing here so early? Does his mother know?
She went to the security console and pressed the intercom. She hoped he could hear her from the speaker next to the door. He was about twenty feet away.
“Jackson?” she called, and saw him jump. He wasn’t expecting to hear her voice this early either. “Is everything all right?”
“Oh, hi, Miss Bowman. Yeah, everything is fine. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I didn’t know what time Buddy came out in the morning. I just wanted to pat him on the head.”
“That’s quite all right, Jackson. I’ll buzz you in.”
“That’s OK, Miss Bowman. My mom might be worried if she can’t see me.”
“She knows you’re out this early?” Ellie was wondering if Colleen was aware that Jackson was out of the house.
“Yeah. I told her I wanted to see if Buddy was up. I missed seeing him yesterday.”
“Well, he missed you, too. Do you want me to call your mom and see if it’s OK for you to come into the yard?”
“That would be swell,” Jackson replied.
“OK. You hang on a minute.” Ellie took the steps two at a time and retrieved the phone she had designated for Colleen.
A startled Colleen answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, Colleen. Sorry for calling so early, but Jackson is here, and I wanted to know if it was all right to let him into the yard.”
“I hope he didn’t disturb you,” Colleen said.
“Not at all. I was up already.”
“Well, if you don’t mind, that would be super. Jackson had a good day with his father, but then he had a bad night and woke up with nightmares.”
“I can relate to that,” Ellie said casually. She felt at ease speaking to this woman. “I’ll buzz him in. You can call me when you want me to send him home.” Ellie remembered telling Colleen about the time frame of the phone number.
“Is that same number good?” Colleen asked.
“Yes, for another day.” Ellie had to come up with some other plan for communication with Colleen. Changing phones every five days for Colleen and Jackson seemed a bit extreme. Not that “extreme” wasn’t a part of her norm.
“Thanks very much. You can send him home anytime. Talk to you later.”
“OK.” Ellie signed off. She would actually like to talk to Colleen later.
Ellie spoke to Jackson again over the intercom. “Go to the side gate, and I’ll let you in. Your mom said it was OK. She’ll call me if she needs you to come home.”
Jackson gave the thumbs-up to the speaker and shrugged. He had no idea if she could see him or not. But she could. He was a bit too young to be scoping the area for surveillance cameras. He trotted to the driveway, where a small Mini Cooper sat. No one had ever seen anyone drive it. He wondered if it even worked. But Ellie had Hector start the engine once a week just to keep it running. She didn’t know if she would ever need it to run, and if she had to run, could she?
Ellie buzzed Jackson into the yard and began tossing the ball to Buddy. She watched from inside the kitchen. She and Jackson had a lot in common. They both suffered from nightmares, and both of them didn’t mind spending hours with a dog.
Ellie spent the rest of the morning working with a few customers when she realized it was getting close to noon. She looked out the window again. Jackson was sound asleep on the swinging bench in the garden, and Buddy was lying under it. It was a sweet scene. Ellie wondered if she should disturb them when her phone rang. The only person it could be was Colleen.
“Hey,” Ellie answered.
“Hey,” Colleen replied. “I hope Jackson hasn’t been a pest. He’s been there for hours.”
“He’s fine. In fact, he’s curled up on the bench, taking a nap. Buddy is lying under it, keeping guard.” Ellie chuckled.
“Oh, good. I was worried he was overstaying his welcome.”
“Not at all. Do you want me to send him home for lunch?” Ellie wished she could offer the kid a sandwich, but she knew she couldn’t.
“Good idea. Besides, he shouldn’t be sleeping in your yard.” Colleen stifled a laugh.
Then Ellie realized that Jackson wasn’t within earshot of the back-porch intercom or the one at the gate. “I just thought of something.” Ellie hesitated. “He won’t be able to hear me from the bench. It’s set back in a garden area.”
“I can come and get him,” Colleen said, as if everything about the situation was normal.
“Great. You can come through the front gate and walk around to the back.” She didn’t tell Colleen that opening the front gate sent a chime signal to the security panel.
“What about Buddy?” Colleen asked. “Will he be all right with me sneaking up on them?”
Ellie thought about it. Maybe it was better if Colleen came to the side gate. That’s where Hector and Jackson entered and exited. Ellie had no experience with anyone walking through the front gate and walking around the yard. Better not take any chances. “I have a better idea. Come around to the side gate and ring the bell. I’ll buzz you in.”
“Thanks. I’ll be over in a couple of minutes.” Colleen was excited to have so much interaction with the mysterious woman at the end of the block. Besides, she was curious about the landscaping. If it was as nice as the front, it might be pretty special.
Ellie heard the bell from the gate and buzzed Colleen in. She spoke into the intercom. “Just push the button when you’re ready to leave. Jackson knows the drill.”
Colleen gave the thumbs-up to anyone who might be watching.
Must run in the family. Ellie laughed to herself.
When Birchwood Lane and the surrounding area was first being developed, the local council decided to make sure it didn’t become a suburban cluster of cookie-cutter homes with little room in between. Each house had to be on an acre, allowing families to plant vegetable gardens and have room to raise children. It was a quiet neighborhood, with large trees lining the street. When Hector had sent Ellie the photos of the cottage, she knew it would be perfect for her needs at the time, and for as long as necessary. The rear of the property had some trees, but Hector assured her that he would make it as private and as serene as possible.
As Colleen entered through the gate, she was in awe of the backyard. It was a half-acre of beautifully manicured shrubs, dogwoods, silver maples, an eastern redbud, and a magnolia that was on the verge of blooming. Toward the back of the property was a garden of azalea bushes and peonies, with a small fountain. A swing bench with a canopy was on one side of the fountain, and two Adirondack chairs were on the other. No wonder Jackson loved to come by every day. It was an oasis compared to their scraggly yard with the rusty swing set. Colleen couldn’t help but wonder why Ellie wouldn’t want to spend time in such a lovely place. Hector had certainly done a marvelous job. Buddy had already raised his head when he heard the buzzer at the gate. He wagged his tail, but remained on guard. Colleen was slowly approaching the swing when Jackson sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Mom. What are you doing here?” Buddy got up and greeted Colleen with one of his soft woofs.
“I came to get you for lunch.” Colleen looked around.
“I can see why you like to come here. It’s beautiful. And peaceful.” She sat down on the bench next to Jackson. “How are you doing, kiddo?”
“I’m good.” He stretched his arms over his head. “I guess I conked out.” He rubbed his eyes.
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